Lump n Bump

I discussed my birth plan with my counselor today. I realized that I’ve had trouble getting it started because I get too hung up on the implications of “plan.” When it comes down to it, the only thing that I absolutely want to plan on is survival. I want to plan on my daughter surviving. At the end of the day, I just want to live, and I want her to live. That’s it. That’s the plan.

So what do I say, how do I express my wishes? I’ll call them a birth wish list. I can prioritize the wishes and comfortably move down the list as circumstances demand adjustments.

First, I wish for a vaginal birth. I wish for the labor to go quickly. I wish to be induced at 37 weeks or later if I’m not at risk. Epidural, no epidural, whatever, that’s a game-time decision. I also wish that I won’t poop in front of people while pushing, but that seems fanciful. I wish for the placenta to not get dropped so that they can do science on it for cancer research. I wish to deliver at Millard Fillmore, I wish for the excellent postpartum nurses again!

If I can’t have that wishlist, I’d come to terms with any of the following substitutions. Cesarian delivery, fully sedated. Delivery after 34 weeks. Delivery at Oshei Children’s Hospital to handle a higher risk delivery.

I want to remember to take a special canvas to get a fresh newborn footprint. I have the perfect thing. A wooden craft plank the size of a post card. Maybe George can paint a base on it for his sister’s foot.